Rethinking the Spectrum of American Multi-Modality

As discussed on CityLab by Eric Jaffe, a new study by Virginia Tech scholars Ralph Beuhler and Andrea Hamre re-evaluates definitions of multi-modality on a representative national scale. Using data from the 2001 and 2009 National Household Travel Surveys (NHTS), the researchers found that only 28 percent of Americans rely solely on their car throughout the week. Indeed, "The majority of Americans are multi-modal car users who drive and make at least one weekly trip by foot, bicycle, or public transportation. Stricter definitions for multimodal driving additionally show that about one in four American car users make at least 7 trips by walking, cycling, or public transportation during the week."

Over time, the share of Americans relying only a car during the entire week is declining, while the share of car-less travelers is rising. In fact, "multi-modal drivers, who use a car plus at least one other mode during the week, make up nearly 65 percent of all respondents in both years."

When comparing the amount of non-car trips (meaning utilization of bicycle, walking, or public transportation) taken throughout the week, the study found that "[a]bout 48 percent of respondents took at least three non-car trips in a week, and about 33 percent took at least five. When the multi-modal threshold reaches seven non-car trips a week—an average of one a day—nearly a quarter of all respondents still met the mark."